NEW YORK _ All signs point to the NHL Players Association accepting the league's 24-team return-to-play proposal.
No formal announcements were made on Friday as the NHLPA executive board concluded two days of voting. But Canada's TSN reported that approval by the NHLPA is expected.
A formal announcement is not likely to be made until after the holiday weekend.
Under this scenario, the NHL will resume play with 24 of its 31 teams _ 12 from each conference _ split into two hub cities. Both the Islanders and Rangers will be included.
The top four teams in each conference will receive a first-round bye but play a three-game round-robin to determine the final standings.
The next eight teams in each conference will be pitted in a best-of-five series to play in for a 16-team playoff bracket.
All subsequent series will be best-of-sevens.
The top 12 teams in each conference will be determined by point percentage. All 31 teams had played between 68 and 71 games when play was halted on March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the plan goes forward, the seventh-seeded Islanders will face the No. 10 Florida Panthers in the first round, with the winner facing the Eastern Conference's second seed. The 11th-seeded Rangers will face the No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes, with the winner meeting the third seed.
With limited travel, it's possible the Stanley Cup will be awarded approximately two months after play resumes.
Any formal announcement of this model is not likely to pinpoint an actual start date.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said play might resume in July or August, with the start of the 2020-21 season pushed back to December.
There are health and logistical issues that need to be resolved, even with a return-to-play model agreed upon.
The league's players and personnel still are under a self-quarantine recommendation issued when play was halted. There still are international travel restrictions, and any player returning to North America, or even crossing the border between the United States and Canada, might be required to self-quarantine for an additional two weeks.
The players likely will need up to three weeks of a second training camp.
The NHL hopes to be able to reopen its practice facilities to small-group workouts by the end of this month, provided health and government officials say it's safe.
